Royce

2manyZ, don't worry about it. I was trying to clarify just to find out for myself. I would love to have a LSD but don't have the money! GreenZ, yes you should be able to swap a different ratio ring gear into a LSD diff. However, I would recommend the Quaife gear type LSD over the Nissan clutch type LSD. From my experience, although not with Z's, the clutch type is more likely to fail, more tempermental and less smooth. Also, with a Quaife it would probably be easier to select the diff with the ratios you like and then add the LSD. Either way you should have a pro install the parts in the diff, setting the preload and such requires the right tools. Having a pro do it will tend to make them last a lot longer! All, I have gotten quotes from www.autogator.com, just west of Sacramento, CA, on a R180 4.11 for $175 + shipping. I expect all the ratios will cost about the same. By the way this is a open diff, NOT LSD. Have fun!

This screw should also have some slack when the car is off or at idle but there is not a diffined measurement. This screw is to balance the front and rear carbs at high speed. Example, when tuning the carbs at idle this screw should be loose so the front a rear carbs act independently of each other. Use a air flow meter to syncronized the carbs at idle. Then bring the engine RPM up to about 2000 RPM and then tighten this screw to syncronize the carbs again. Once you have the carbs sycronized at idle and 2000 RPM you should be good to go. Hope it helps! Mileage may vary!

Interesting suggestion! I will give it a try before I put on the one from the junk car just to see how it goes. Thanks!

Not quite sure what you are trying to describe!? Why would you want play in your throttle linkage?

rlucier, Thanks, I found one locally on a junker that seems to work okay.

Zlish, When you find them why don't you post the instructions on this site in the technical articles forum so we can all take a look! 2manyZ, I know some SX cars came with LSD and some came with a 4.11 but I don't think there was a LSD 4.11. But hey, I have been wrong before so if you can find the specifics let me know and I will be a the wreckers tomorrow!!! Thanks!

FYI, there are two sizes of the plastic rivets used on various parts in the 240Z. I think the depth of each is the same but the heads are different sizes, one is probably 1/4" and the other is about 7/16". I probably could get them from Nissan too! They are reusable if you don't loose the little center cylinder when you pop them out. Have fun!

Thanks for the response. That's the way I remeber it too! I also now have aftermarket carpet with insulation attached to the back. I was hoping to get a few more answers so I can give my friend a confident anwswer. Anyone else?

Yes, I believe it would be a R-180 from particular 200SX or 240SX cars. I have the info someplace, I'll check it out and get back to you!

2manyZ's gave you some good advice. If you do find out it is the valve stem seals be sure to replace them with the newer type from Nissan. They are more of a poly than the original rubber type. They last longer and would not harden and crack apart like the originals. The newer type are brown in color and I am sure the folks at Nissan can help you get them. If not let me know I have the Nissan part number in my files. Like 2manyZ's said, blue smoke at startup is likely to be valve stem seals. Smoke while driving is more likely to be warn rings or valves that are worn or out of adjustment. Oil consumption with no blue smoke usually means it is leaking on the floor! A compression test or leak down test would be best for determining the overall condition of the rings and valves. Other things to check... the original diffs are pretty solid on Z cars and the original tranys are good on '72s and up. But things wear out in time. 93K miles is not a lot on a L6 motor. I would first check the body for signs of repair and for signs of rust on the frame rails, hatch deck, under battery, door sills and floor pan. Then a road test it to get a feel for the condition of the driveline and suspension. Next a compression test of the engine and a visual check of all the suspension components and bushings. If all meets your standards for the purchase price take it home check the tire pressures change the fluids, including carb oil, and enjoy. Have fun!

Howdy folks, Anybody know for sure if the series I or series II 240Z's came with insulation under the hatch carpet? I am checking this for a Z bud that hasn't made it to this site yet, but I am pointing him in the right direction. Mine was replaced with aftermarket carpet so long ago that I don't remember. The microfiche doesn't show any part number for the early cars so I am thinking there wasn't any! Thanks!

Hey Paul, Specifically what panel are you looking for, I may be parting out a '73 240Z?

I don't have any experience with this bolt, I replaced my waterpump when the motor was out last. But I do have experience replacing the timing chain cover. If you are thinking of taking the timing chain cover off to get to that bolt you sould realize that the timing chain cover is sandwiched between the head and the oil pan. In fact if I remember correctly there are a few bolts that attach the cover to the head, you shoud take off the cam cover and look to be sure. I was able to get mine out by droping the oil pan just a bit and carefully removing from the pan gasket and head gasket using a metal putty knife. If you do damage the head gasket or the pan gasket you may be able to repair it with liquid gasket maker/sealer. However, if that doesn't keep the oil in the engine you may need to replace an entire gasket.

I have seen that clip of Darius' V8Z before and have read lots of information about it. If I remember correctly it to be a blown LS1 with a 6-speed box. I think you can see it in the video and hear it in audio when it is running in the garage. Nobody could tell how much HP, supposedly they couldn't keep it running long enough to get a good dyno run. That clip is probably over a year old so it may have been on a dyno since I last heard about it! I have never meet Darius, but I have seen some of his other motorcycle and car trick vidio clips. I believe he has won some awords for his street motorcycle stunts at a organized competition in SoCal.

Sorry, I don't know what tires are available in the UK for that size rim. Generally speaking a 7" rim can fit a 195 - 245 size tire. If you are looking for good performance and go with a 50 or less series tire I would probably say a 225 would be the best bet, but check with the tire manufacturer to see what they recommend. Also, if you are really looking for high performance for track or autocross I would suggest having the tire heat cycled and shaved. It will add $$$ to the cost of the tire which would be a waste for just street driving. But you will get more performance and actually longer usable life from the tire in competitive situations. Have fun!

Sorry, no manuals close at hand! The Chilton's manual should have a general information page on torque settings where you can look up the lenght and size of the bolt and determine the proper torque. I personally would probably be okay with tighten them w/o a torque wrench, although if you can find the setting it wouldn't be a bad idea either. The key is that they are all tightened evenly, most people tend to over do this stuff. The definition of maximum torque: Tighten it until it strips and then back it off 1/4 turn. Have fun!

The approach I take is, what needs fixing? Struts and springs are probably the most expensive of the modifications. So if your struts and springs are warn you may want to start with something less expensive first. Also, there are the biggest number of different combinations for struts and spring replacements. I would hang out at the local autocross or get together with fellow Z folk and go for a ride in their car to see what you like. How do you know if you struts or springs are worn? If you press down on a fender and let it go and the car takes 3 or more times to stop bouncing or if it bounces like crazy while being driven than the struts are warn. If it is really easy to push down on the fender and the car doesn't return to its previous stance then the springs may be worn. Also, when you drive over a speed bump the car easily bottoms out and feels very harsh. When I bought my 240 the struts and springs were very worn. So I replaced those first. If the stuts and springs are okay, then bushings might be a good place to start because the car is so old that the rubber bushings are probably worn out. If you have the $$$ this is a good time to add a larger sway bar since you have to disconnect it to replace the bushings. Do you need tires? Someone else suggested going to 15" rims. The reason this is a common suggestion is that it is getting harder to find high performance tires to fit 14" rims, but increasing the rim size does not in itself provide better performance. But good quality tires can make a huge difference! Buy tires that fit the rim size you have. A tire that is too large or too small for the rim does not allow you to get the full performance potential from the tire. That's I'll I can think of for now! Have fun!

I just looked into getting my windows tinted, the hatch tint is bubbling badly, and have learned that the rules have changed a bit. As it was explained to me you can tint the rear window as dark as you want so long as you have side mirrors on both sides, nothing new there. The part that is new to me is that you can tint both drivers and passengers side windows up to 33%(??). Also probably old news is that the quarter windows or rear passenger windows, if you have a custom 4-door Z, can be tinted as dark as you like. I live in the Sacramento area (frequent 105+ summer days), have black interior and don't have AC and might just tint those side windows this year!

Now that I read your original question and my reply I guess I really didn't answer what you asked. The 240Z originally did have a good fundamental suspension system. It is a bit outdated by current standards but is NOT a bad design and is very good for that time period. Just look how many old Z's are still out racing competitively. What was considered a performance or daily driver ride has changed dramatically since the '70s. I would say a stock 240Z is a good daily driver and can be a fun autocross or track car. But as has been stated it depends on your definition of performance. You can do a lot for the performance just by buying a good set of tires! The good thing is that there are many upgrades you can make to the suspension that are 100% reversable if you or someone else decided to return the car to a stock original car. Just don't do anything extreme that requires cutting or welding. You can upgrade the bushings, anti-sway bar, struts & springs, and tires/wheels without taking away from the original qualities of the car. If you think you would want it original at some point just keep the parts that you are taking off! The only thing I would think of that might be hard to find in the future would be a set of good rubber bushings. Hope it helps!

As with any car the manufacturer has made some compromises in performance to appeal to more people or to satisfy government regulation. And there are always companies out there that specialize in improving over stock equipement. Even at the top end there are after market suspensions available that improve performance. Example, you can buy strut/spring upgrades for Ferrari's, Porches, Lotus', Corvette's, etc. You can have a lot of fun with a stock Z car, it just depends on what your definition of performance is! Remember time + money = speed. There are a lot of options out there for Z car suspensions. Also, lots of times you many not get the desired result by just changing one component. You have to look at things in the big picture. When I first upgraded my suspension on my 240Z over 10 years ago I went with Tokico non-adjustable struts with Tokico springs. Nothing really wild here! The car is about 1.5" lower and does handle nicely. I was told that even the softest setting of the Tokico adjustables would be stiffer and so I decided to be conservative. Again, I think it works very well but since I don't drive the car daily now I may want to go more agressive the next time around. If you are happy with the way it drives now don't change anything. If you want more out of the car or have worn out parts than I would look to the aftermarket because it is usually cheaper or the same price as staying stock. But again it depends on how far you want to go. Just my thoughts! Hope it helps!

That is a great looking car! I am honestly not interested in buying the car, I've got my hands full now as it is, but would love to come by and take a look and drool over the car! If you don't mind me dropping by send me an email at royce_miller@yahoo.com.

Sure, I agree that anything can be made to work with the right amount of time and money. I don't think the stock 240Z tach will work with a Datsun/Nissan electronic ignition, or aftermarket either, without some type of converter or adapter. I think that using the 280Z tach modification is tried and true and allows you to keep a stock look. It is actually a quite common switch from what I hear. There is some write-ups at zhome.com in the Z Techical Library under Index of Technical Articles in the Ignitions Systems section. Also, good distributor & ignition stuff at http://www.geocities.com/zgarage2001/z.html under the Performance Tips heading. (don't remember if he discusses the tach switch or not). I wish I could find the article that Pete Sanders wrote to the internet Z club a while back. It is on my home computer which has taken a turn for the worse recently! No virus, I believe this problem is between the chair and the keyboard! Have fun!

My understanding is that if you don't have hardened valve seats or guides and you don't use leaded gas or a lead substitue your valve seats and guides would wear dramatically faster! I admit that I am not a chemistry expert or a fuel sciences expert but I don't see why running preium fuel would be any better than running lower fuel grades for preserving these parts. In my opinion if you are using premium gas or race gas and don't need it your are wasting money. Also, if you don't have hardened valve seats or hardened valve guides you should use leaded gas or a substitue or you will be wasting larger chuncks of money soon. I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the modern lead substitues are of poor quality but it is probably still cheap insurance. When I had my engine rebuilt over 10 years ago that valve seats were severly worn, I always thought it was due to not using the lead substite. I had hardened valves and guides put in at that time. No clue about the drop in gas mileage! Have you tuned up the car and adjusted the valves recently? Corrections and comments welcome!

Sorry folks, I am looking like a rookie here on the attachment deal. When I convert from word document to text file I cannot save or modify the format. Anyway, it should be a table with 9 columns. If you cut and paste the table to word or a text editor you should be able to use the tab and create the columns and make it easier to read. The bottom line is that the Datsun L6 cams were very similar from in all the different heads from '69 - '83.

Okay lets try the attachment thing again... datsun_l6_cams.txt